Updating towards the perfect Xbox One?

OK, so perfect might be a bit of a stretch. ‘Perfect’ isn’t a word that I throw around that much. Well… I use it a lot, but there are only a few scenarios when the word is truly applicable – this probably isn’t one of those scenarios, but it’s close. At first, the Xbox One was far from perfect. The UI was clunky, the dashboard was ugly, many of the apps didn’t work and the console relied far too heavily on the Kinect integration (to name just a few issues). With subsequent updates, however, the console has been moving from strength to strength. And now, with the latest final tweaks, I’d be confident in saying that the console is nearing perfection. Well perhaps the closest to a perfect version of that console, possible.

So why is it only now that my feelings have changed? The truth is that it’s all in the updates. Since launching the Preview Programme, I’ve managed to experience early access to a number of updates. From backward compatibility to a UI overhaul, the Xbox One has seen some major changes in the past year or so. The last few updates have been a little less significant – but that’s not to say that they’re any less meaningful. Us Xbox gamers have had a few complaints about the console thus far, and these most recent updates are addressing some of those issues head on – the sort of nagging issues that could take the Xbox One from good to great, then potentially… eventually… perfect.

Whilst these changes are small, they all add up to bring this console a tiny bit closer to perfection. For instance, the ability to bring Party Chat into Twitch broadcasts – a small change, which will only benefit a select few people, but it’s a change we’ve been asking after for a while now. The ability to play Party Chat audio through your TV speakers is another small change, but again, it’s a change that people have been wanting for some time. It’s these sorts of small issues that add up – the perfect console has to be perfect for everyone, not just the average Xbox gamer.

Slightly more bulky changes are also changing the console for the better. Backward compatible Xbox 360 games can now be purchased through the store – meaning that you won’t need to Google which games are currently backward compatible and then purchase them on disc. Or, purchase the backwards compatible games through the Microsoft store on the 360, or on a desktop / PC / mobile device. Again, a relatively small change, but one that really improves the experience for a select group of people (the people who like to play 360 games their One). Saving the best for last, us Xbox One gamers can now customise the length of our game DVR recordings. We can finally choose to record from 15 seconds to 5 minutes, by customising the recording length in the settings. Again, whilst this will only be a minor update for the majority, the select few will really appreciate longer recording times.

I left the title of this article open for a reason. I don’t think that the Xbox One is perfect quite yet. I would also never say that it is, or ever will be, the perfect console; when you compare it to its competitors, that is. I do believe, however, that we could see the perfect version of the Xbox One relatively soon. Microsoft keep updating the console, and with every update the Xbox One does come one step closer. Maybe it will never be ‘perfect’, or maybe it will take some time. Either way, I appreciate that Microsoft are still trying to make the best experience for Xbox One gamers – and that’s not just for the average gamer, but for the gamers who have different uses for their console.

Do you think that the Xbox One will ever be perfect, or at least the perfect version of that console? Or do you think that there are too many hardware issues, which can’t be solved with software updates? Let me know in the comments below!

Aaron blanchard

Xbox one has evolved for the better past couple years, and its cost me nothing to experience that. But with ps4 different story. Only a handful of firmware updates and where are the ‘Wow’ games? With the announcement of ps4.5 recently its absolutely ridiculous that Sony would screw its fans with this release before even giving us anything awesome to play on the ps4. Money hungry companies like Sony are doing this to stay afloat, because their products in other divisions are failing horribly. These next generation consoles are such a let down, time for a pc.

Aaron blanchard

Xbox one has evolved for the better past couple years, and its cost me nothing to experience that. But with ps4 different story. Only a handful of firmware updates and where are the ‘Wow’ games? With the announcement of ps4.5 recently its absolutely ridiculous that Sony would screw its fans with this release before even giving us anything awesome to play on the ps4. Money hungry companies like Sony are doing this to stay afloat, because their products in other divisions are failing horribly. These next generation consoles are such a let down, time for a pc.